- Tour code
CUBADV02
- Start
Havana
- End
Havana
- Min. age
16 years old
- Group size
Max 6-16 travellers
- Trip style
Classic
- Trip pace
Easy
- Language
English
Cuba rewards travelers who slow down, and this route is paced so you can. Over nine days you'll travel from Havana west to the tobacco valleys of Viñales, south to the Bay of Pigs and the bayside city of Cienfuegos, and on to Trinidad, where live music drifts out of doorways onto cobbled streets.
You'll ride through Havana in a restored vintage car after a guided walk through Old Havana, spend two nights among the limestone hills of Viñales, and learn how tobacco becomes a cigar on a working farm, with a traditional lunch there. Along the way there are stops for the history that shaped the country: the Girón Museum at the Bay of Pigs and the Che Guevara monument in Santa Clara.
Private transport keeps travel days comfortable, and there's free time built in, including a whole day in Trinidad, so you can find your own favorite café, bar or corner of each town. Your Soca Islands Host handles the logistics; you bring the curiosity.
Why This Journey
Most visits to Cuba stop at Havana. This one keeps going, into the farming valleys and colonial towns where daily life moves at a different pace, so you see how the country's history, landscape and music connect: tobacco grown in red Viñales soil, a revolution remembered at the Bay of Pigs and Santa Clara, and sugar-era wealth preserved in Trinidad's pastel streets.
Staying in family-run guesthouses outside Havana adds to that. Breakfast is cooked by your hosts, conversations happen on the terrace, and you come away with a sense of Cuban hospitality that's hard to find any other way. It suits curious travelers who are happy with a few longer driving days in exchange for a fuller picture of the island.
Where You'll Stay
Havana (3 nights): Casa Vitrales, a boutique bed and breakfast in Old Havana. Viñales (2 nights): Casa Nenita, a family-run casa particular with a roof terrace over the valley. Cienfuegos (1 night): Hostal Colonial Pepe & Isabel, a family-run hostal in a colonial house. Trinidad (2 nights): Hostal José y Fátima, a family-run hostal in the historic center. Outside Havana the group may be spread across neighboring family-run guesthouses of a similar standard. Proposed accommodation (or similar), subject to confirmation. Rooms are based on two people sharing a double room with two beds.
Getting There
International Flights Not Included. International airfare to and from the destination is not included in the package price. Travelers are responsible for arranging their own flights and ensuring their arrival and departure align with the trip itinerary. Fly into and out of José Martí International Airport (HAV) in Havana; arrival and departure airport transfers are included. Please share your confirmed flight details with Soca Islands so we can coordinate applicable arrival and departure arrangements.
What you will see and do
Ride through Havana in a restored vintage car
Wander Trinidad's cobbled colonial streets to live music
Visit a tobacco farm in the Viñales countryside
What's included
All activities mentioned on the itinerary
Accommodations in double rooms
Experienced Soca Islands Host with you throughout the trip
One farewell group activity when possible
Max 16 travellers per group
Arrival and departure airport transfers
Group transportation
What's excluded
- International flights (travelers arrange their own)
- Travel insurance (required)
- Meals not listed in the itinerary
- Optional activities, including the optional salsa class in Trinidad
- Activities during free time
- Single room supplement (single rooms on request, subject to availability)
- Extra nights before or after the trip
Group itinerary
Land at José Martí International Airport (HAV) whenever suits you, and a transfer takes you to your accommodation in Old Havana. Once everyone is in, you'll meet your Soca Islands Host and the rest of the group and get a first feel for the city, its music and its evening streets.
A local guide leads you on foot through Old Havana's squares and landmarks, a UNESCO World Heritage Site where colonial churches, palaces and arcaded plazas sit side by side with everyday neighborhood life.
Later you'll swap walking for a spin around the city in a classic car, one of the restored American models that have become a symbol of Cuba. The afternoon is yours to explore, rest or find a rooftop bar.
Head west toward Viñales, in the province of Pinar del Río. On the way you'll stop at a cigar farm to see how Cuba's famous tobacco is grown, dried and rolled by hand, then sit down to a traditional lunch on the farm.
By late afternoon you reach Viñales, a small town of single-story houses and porches with rocking chairs, ringed by green hills.
A countryside walk takes you among the valley's mogotes, the rounded limestone hills that rise out of the farmland, past fields of tobacco and small farms worked much as they have been for generations.
After that, the afternoon is free to rest or explore Viñales yourself. Evenings here are relaxed, with music in the main square and dinner at a local paladar if you want to try one.
A long travel day toward Cienfuegos. You'll break the drive at the Girón Museum to learn what happened at the Bay of Pigs in 1961, with a chance to swim before continuing.
Cienfuegos, on a wide bay on the south coast, has a historic center that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with neoclassical buildings laid out around Parque José Martí.
Continue to Trinidad and get oriented in its colorful streets of pastel houses and cobblestones around Plaza Mayor.
In the evening there's the option of a salsa class, a fun way to warm up before the town's live music gets going.
No schedule today. Trinidad's historic center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and it's best explored slowly: pastel houses, bell towers and music in the plazas.
Your Soca Islands Host can suggest ideas for the day, from museums in the old sugar barons' mansions to a quiet café or an afternoon by the coast.
Start with a visit to a community project near Manaca Iznaga, in the Valley of the Sugar Mills, that supports local women artisans.
Then drive north to Santa Clara to see the Che Guevara monument and other key sites before returning to Havana for your final night.
After breakfast you're free to head off whenever your onward plans require, with your departure transfer to José Martí International Airport (HAV).
Accommodations
Here's a glimpse of the hotels we selected for this adventure.
Casa Vitrales
A privately run boutique bed and breakfast on the upper floors of a restored republican-era townhouse in Old Havana, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It sits on Calle Habana near the Cinco Esquinas corner, two blocks from the Museum of the Revolution, with Old Havana's squares, bars and paladares within walking distance.
The house keeps its colonial character, with high ceilings, antiques and a central patio, and breakfast is served on the shaded roof terrace overlooking the old city. Its nine bedrooms each have a private bathroom and air conditioning.
Casa Nenita
A well-regarded family-run casa particular in Viñales, set back from Calle Salvador Cisneros, the town's main street, behind the polyclinic. The house has been enlarged over the years, and its roof terrace looks out over the valley and its limestone mogotes, a good spot at sunset.
Bedrooms are air-conditioned with private bathrooms, and the family kitchen prepares home-cooked Cuban meals, adapted to guests' needs. There is a small wading pool in the garden.
Hostal Colonial Pepe & Isabel
A family-run hostal in a colonial house in Cienfuegos, the bayside city whose historic centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Modern rooms are arranged around two courtyards, and the hosts are known for their warm welcome.
Hostal José y Fátima
A family-run hostal in a colonial house with a blue porch on Calle Francisco Javier Zerquera, in the historic centre of Trinidad, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The cobbled lanes around Plaza Mayor and the town's music venues are a short walk away.
Five comfortable rooms, some with balconies, open onto colonial-style interiors, and there is a terrace for breakfast. The hosts can help arrange local activities.
Rooms
- Included
Shared double
Shared with the person you book with, or a fellow traveller of the same sex.
- Extra cost
Single room
A room to yourself, subject to availability.
You choose your room when you book.
Tour FAQS
Fly into and out of José Martí International Airport (HAV) in Havana.
Proposed accommodation is Casa Vitrales in Havana (3 nights), Casa Nenita in Viñales (2 nights), Hostal Colonial Pepe & Isabel in Cienfuegos (1 night) and Hostal José y Fátima in Trinidad (2 nights), or similar, subject to confirmation. Outside Havana these are family-run guesthouses, and the group may be spread across neighboring guesthouses of a similar standard.
International Flights Not Included. International airfare to and from the destination is not included in the package price. Travelers are responsible for arranging their own flights and ensuring their arrival and departure align with the trip itinerary. Please share your confirmed flight details with Soca Islands so we can coordinate applicable arrival and departure arrangements.
Yes. Arrival and departure airport transfers between José Martí International Airport (HAV) and your Havana accommodation are included. Please share your confirmed flight details with Soca Islands so we can coordinate applicable arrival and departure arrangements.
The trip includes 8 breakfasts, 1 lunch and 1 dinner. Breakfast is included every morning from Day 2 to Day 9, and lunch is the traditional meal at the tobacco farm on Day 3. Other meals are at your own cost.
Extra nights can be requested, subject to hotel availability; contact our Customer Experience team for a quote.
There are no scheduled activities on the final day, so feel free to book your departure at your own convenience.
We recommend arriving before 3 pm on Day 1 to make it in time for the welcome event. But don’t worry no matter when you land, we’ll have an airport transfer ready for you.
Please Refer to your government’s travel advice or consult your local consulate. Remember, passport and visa requirements can change, so make sure to stay updated.
Excluding alcohol, we suggest budgeting around USD $40.00 per day for extras.
While we’re not medical professionals, we want to help you prepare for a safe and healthy adventure. Here are some tips:
- Consult with a healthcare professional: Schedule an appointment with your travel nurse or doctor at least eight weeks before your adventure to get any necessary vaccines or medications.
- Up-to-date medical advice:
- US residents: Check the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.
- UK residents: Visit the NHS Fit For Travel website.
- Australian residents: Refer to the Smart Traveler Health website.
3. Government travel advice:
- US residents: Consult the US Department of State Travel Advice.
- UK residents: Check the FCDO Travel Advice.
- Australian residents: Visit the Smart Traveler website.
4. Medication tips: If you take prescription medication, bring enough to last the entire trip, plus a few extra days in case of delays. Carry a copy of your prescription in case you need to visit a clinic abroad.
We hope this helps you prepare for a safe and enjoyable adventure.
Please keep in mind that our itinerary, activities, and hotels might change. These adjustments could happen with little notice due to factors like availability, weather conditions, seasonal shifts, or other circumstances beyond our control. Rest assured, we always aim to minimise any impact on your experience. Occasionally, we may tweak the itinerary to try out fresh ideas and keep the adventure exciting.
We believe solo travelers shouldn’t have to pay extra to explore the world. That’s why our group trips are designed around shared accommodation and do not include a single supplement. Solo travelers joining our group trips are paired in twin or multi-share rooms with another traveler of the same sex for the duration of the trip.
Some of our Independent trips are structured differently. For these itineraries, solo travelers will need to book at the single occupancy rate.
Tips are not included in the cost of this tour. Remember, tipping is entirely at your discretion and based on what you feel comfortable with.
Would you like to learn more or customise our Cuba Explorer trip?
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